Cheers and challenges

It’s very easy to lament all that is wrong about the Church of England – after all, there is quite a lot to choose from!

Sometimes, however, it’s also good to reflect on some of the positives that still exist. For example, as a national church, the CofE still has a voice that carries some weight in a way that other denominations do not. Thus, in recent discussions about the migrant crisis at Calais and its effect on the UK, the Bishop of Dover was on hand to offer a much needed Christian comment on how we view those seeking to come here.

And so when David Cameron referred to ‘a swarm of people coming across the Mediterranean’ Bishop Trevor Willmott said: ‘To put them [migrants and refugees] all together in that very unhelpful phrase just categorises people and I think he could soften that language – and that doesn’t mean not dealing with the issue. It means dealing with the issue in a non-hostile way.’ His views were widely reported. Given that loving our neighbour is the second greatest commandment, and bearing in mind Jesus’s parable of the Good Samaritan, it was surely good for an Anglican bishop to be able to say something at least moderately helpful.